It doesn’t matter what kind of relationship you’re in, being on the other end of the stick in a break-up is one of the most heart wrenching experiences you will go through in your dating life. You don’t know whether to cry, scream, run away or sadly attempt to keep it together and fail miserably by curling into the fetal position on the ground.
No one else? Okay. The lads from the neo-folk four piece, Tiny Little Houses wanted to re-create this awful moment for you with Easy, the first track from their long promised forthcoming EP.
Tiny Little Houses create an incredible mix of folk and lo-fi shoegaze dreaminess, informed by emotional tales of love and loss
Mixing stories of love and loss with a revival of 90’s lo-fi folk, Tiny Little Houses use melancholy and haze to bend the sound of shoegaze. They paint a delicate picture of smoky Elliot Smith-esque vocals layered with harrowingly emotional lyrics, folk melodies and distorted guitars.
Hailing from Melbourne, the quartet started off as the solo project of Caleb Karvountzis. The lo-fi demo recordings produced on an answering machine in the guitarist/songwriter’s bedroom became the foundation of the TLH implosive sound. The fuzzed out creations expanded with mate and musician Sean Mullins coming on board with the project. To create a full forming and functioning live band, members Al Yamin on bass and Clancy Bond on drums joined as well.
Their sound harkens back to influences ranging from Bright Eyes to Neutral Milk Hotel and Sebadoh, whilst honing in their own uniqueness. There has been a huge buzz surrounding the boys gaining national airplay on triple J, FBi, RRR, and community stations from Australia and overseas.
They have played at shows and festivals with Sticky Fingers, Spookyland, mewithoutYOU and Flyying Colours. There is a lot of talent coming out of the folk scene at the moment and a band can be easily lost in all the commotion, but the captivating and dreamy sound from TLH grants them a stand out spot.
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Every Man Knows His Plague; and You Are Mine was the foursome’s debut track which mixed acoustic, fuzz elements and uneasy imagery about loosing the girl you love. The song bears a nostalgic aesthetic that reaches deep into your memory bank, whether you like it or not.
The band are busy compiling tracks for their debut EP, due later this year, and have given us a taste of what’s to come with Easy. The gently muffled vocals are sweet but fragile as they describe the story of a break up during a date at Luna Park.
The track is densely emotional and raw with lines such as “It’s not quite hell, but it’s not easy”, which is so incredibly relatable it just makes you want to cry. Caleb’s vocals create such intimate and poetic imagery that is accompanied by exquisite guitar playing and dreamy shoegaze elements. This has pushed aside Neil Young and Bob Dylan for my go-to “make me more emotional” break up songs.
Catch the sheer talent pouring out of Tiny Little Houses soon and keep a close eye out for their new EP, I’m sure it won’t be hard to miss.
31 July, Waywards at the Bank, Sydney
8 August, Hugs and Kisses, Melbourne
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